Road to Paternity
by baby-kitsune9
Summary: Bishop had gone too far this time with his madness. and as a result, Leonardo suddenly finds himself thrust into the role of a father. Not that Splinter or the others are complaining much. The expansion of their family, while unexpected wasn't totally unwelcome. However things change later on when Leo's daughter grows up and sets her sights on her geeky uncle. Donatello. Don/OC
1. Chapter 1

Insanity was a matter of perspective. Much like genuis.

Insanity could cause even the most noble intentioned person to go totally mad and kill. Maim and destroy everything around them. Where as genuis could rebuild and salvage things that were otherwise un rebuildable and unsalvagable.

The experiment he was currently looking in on was no different than any of those things. Though it required a certain amount of insanity and genuis combined. He had been working on this experiment for little over five years and up until now, had failed miserably. Each of his creations had either looked too _inhuman_- like their mutant father- or had simply been created with birth defects and learning disabilities.

And thus had been imperfect and had had to be destroyed.

But this one- This one was special.

Bishop had known it the moment that she had been created.

Since he hadn't wanted to scrap this one, he had filled in the gaps in it's mutated DNA with that of a surrogant mother. A human female that his men had snatched off of the streets several months back for another experiment. He had taken blood, tissue, and egg samples from her to see if it would be possible to create the perfect mutant.

One with intellect and cunning. One that looked more human than beast yet had certain beastial tendencies.

And she was _beautiful_. Truly if he had any paternal instinct in him, he would be tempted to raise her and unleash her upon the unsuspecting world. He never would have thought that a hideous mutant turtle's DNA could create such a perfect new species.

No scratch that, a new generation of mutant that was flawless.

And she was flawless, even for a child of under a year old. Her skin was the color of snow and her mid back length milky colored hair curled around her angelic little face. A face that held wide seemingly innocent vivid blue eyes with a faint little red stripe just along the bottom of both of her eye lids. The only true telling sign of _who_ and _what_ her father was.

He tapped the artificial womb that she was floating in and smiled and jumped when she attached herself to the glass where his hand had been and tried to bite him through it. He chuckled in amusement and jotted something down on the clip board in his hand then muttered, "You are a vicious little thing-"

Those lovely blue eyes narrowed at him and he heard a keening sound. A distressed sound. She was trying to call her parents to her. Unfortunately niether of them knew of her existance, so they would be of little help at this time unless her cagey father decided to pull a sneak-

He was straightening his spine and setting the chart aside when there was a loud **_Booom!_** and the whole building suddenly shook as the fire alarms sounded. _Goddamn it all. _Bishop thought as he reached out and absently pressed the button that would drain the artificial womb of the liquids in it. There was no way in hell that he was leaving such a wonderful specimen to be found by those damned freaks.

If they got their hands on her and found out that one of them was her biological father, he'd never manage to get close enough to study her again. They would never allow it.

The tube drained slowly as he tured to the closest computer and typed in security codes that would allow him to track the turtles as they ripped through the different floors of his lab, destroying things and freeing his test subjects. They were much closer to the level he was currently on than he had initally thought. He heard the little one flailing around in the tube, sloshing around in the fluids as she smacked her small body against the cylinder tube, trying to escape the confusion.

She made a few more keening sounds, these louder than anything he'd ever heard before as he fixed a needle to put her to sleep and a nap sack to carry her in as the last of the fluids drained away and she sat huddled against one side of the tube with her hair plastered to her face, neck and shoulders. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and the keening sounds that she had been making were dying down to whimpers as he opened up the tube and grabbed her.

She made a hissing sound as his hand made contact with the flesh of her arm and he begain to pull on her in an effort to drag her out. She hissed louder in warning then sank her little teeth into his hand, biting down hard enough to draw blood, as she felt the pin prick of the needle in his other hand breaking through the skin of her neck.

She growled around what was in her mouth and yelped as he jerked the needle out of her neck then tried to use his other hand to pry her mouth open when he heard someone say from behind him in a an angry tone, "Bishop... Picking on children now?"

Bishop froze for a second then turned and looked at the person who had spoken. _Damn him and his ninja skills._ He thought darkly as he stared into the furious azure blue eyes of one the Hamoto clan's four son's. The eldest to be exact.

Leonardo.

"Why Leonardo, it's a pleasure to see you again. You're doing well I hope."

"Hand over the kid." Leo said, ignoring everything else that Bishop had said. Bishop mentally sighed at his rudeness. So much for small talk before the fight.

"You want the kid-" Bishop said, an evil smirk crossing his face as he held the struggling child up by her neck. Leo narrowed his eyes at him and tensed up, ready to tackle the mad human to the ground and wrestle the child from him if he must when Bishop did the most unexpected and horrible thing Leo had ever seen anyone do to a small child.

He threw the kid across the lab where there was a series of tall tubes and chemicals. Where the little one hit several glass tubes, shattering them before hitting the wall with a **_thunk _**and then fell to the floor bleeding from numerous cuts and covered in bruises.

Leo made a low growling sound and started to shoot Bishop a dirty look promising retaliation for that, but the man was already gone.

Moving across the lab to where the child was he carefully ran his hands over her skull, along her neck and back, shoulders, and arms then her chest, stomach, abdomen and then her legs. Using what limited knowledge he had to check for serious injuries. She seemed to have a few wounds that could be problematic, but Don would be able to help her more than he could.

"Okay sweetie, I'm going to get you out of here." Leo said in a soft tone so that he didn't wind up scaring her. He didn't know that she already knew who he was. Nor did he know how she would change his life and the life of his family.

It amused her to think that if he had known those things, he might have run screaming from the lab and left her to die.


	2. Chapter 2

Don, Mike and Raph would be lying if they said that they weren't suprised to see their elder brother walk out of Bishops lab as it went up in flames, with a little albino kid carefully cradled in the crook of one arm.

"Don, I need you to look this kid over and determine if it needs a hospital." Leo said as soon as he joined them next to the battle shell.

Don frowned and looked at the kid, determining that it must be at least two or three years old due to it's growth, it was wearing a white sleeveless spandex outfit that to Don- was so _horribly_ familiar that when he reached out to take the toddler from his older brother- he had to stop himself from swearing at the sight of the bruises and blood littering it's tiny form.

But it was the blood around it's little mouth that worried him the most as he cradled it in the crook of one arm and gave Leo a worried look. Leo didn't seem terribly worried, although he did warn Don to watch his fingers.

The toddler had taken a chunk out of Bishop before the man had run off like a scalded dog.

After that they all loaded into the battle shell, Raph in the driver seat while Leo and Mikey placed themselves in the back just in case Don needed them to help with the baby.

Don pulled the secondary first aid kit that he kept in the battle shell, the one that he had specifically put together for when they fought with the Foot, the Purple Dragons, and Bishop. It had everything that the techno geek/doctor turtle needed to preform small blood tests to check for drugs and mutations- set bones, and sew up his family and friends.

Don had the toddler laying on a small cot that was screwed to the floor of the van and was checking the baby over when he noticed something just above one of the nasty cuts on it's left arm, right where the crook of it's elbow was.

There was what looked like a barcode with a series of numbers just above what looked like an impression in her skin that reminded him of a feeding tube or something being placed there.

He frowned and mouthed some of his thoughts to himself, forgetting that he wasn't alone when Leo came up behind him and peered at the toddler and let out an angry growl as soon as he saw the barcode. Mikey, curious to see what had suddenly pissed Leo off. Came over and peered down at the toddler and hissed out the word, _"Bastard"_ as soon as he saw the barcode.

Then taking a step or so back asked in a very unMikey like tone, "Did that son of a bitch, Bishop, experiment on her?"

"Since she has a barcode, I would say it's a safe bet-" Don said as he grabbed a portable tracker that was attuned to Bishops tracking chips and ran it along the toddlers body until the device beeped. "Leo, hand me the number two scalpel and some numbing agent. Mikey, I need you over here to hold the baby down so that it doesn't get hurt if it wakes up... I'll have to cut the tracking device out of the little tyke."

Mikey moved around the cot so that he was positioned at the little one's shoulders and placed his hands firmly on the tiny chest and waited as Leo handed Don what he had asked for and watched as his brother prepped the toddler with a sense of morbid fasination.

Truth be told he felt like he was in a horror movie. And somehow seeing his brother cutting up the baby seemed to cast him in a darker, almost mad scientist-like light.

"How we doing back there, guys?" Raph asked as he half turned in the drivers seat just so that he could see what they were doing. His dark eyes going to the toddler laying so still on the cot as his expression darkened. _Oh that fucker Bishop was going to pay for hurting a tiny tot. _

"Ask again once the tracking device has been dealt with." Don said as he numbed the small area on the toddler's upper arm where the tracking device was then took the scalpel from Leo and quickly and cautiously made a small incision then handed the blace back to Leo who dropped it onto a small table as Don said, "Pliers."

Leo handed him some pliers and watched as his brother used a combination of pressing down behind the small wound and the pliers to remove the tracking device then handed it to Mikey who quickly opened a window and threw the small bloody piece of metal out of the van.

Then turned back and blinked as a wet cotton swab was thrust into his shell by his brother who then growled, "Help me clean the baby up so I can figure out just how bad these wounds are."

Leo grabbed a pice of cotton and dipped it into some water that Don had on hand in a jug a few feet away and walked over and started to wipe the baby's mouth, chin, and the curve of it's jaw and throat while Don removed the spandex and made a funny sound upon discovering that the baby was female.

_Well this is awkward. _He thought as he lightly pressed down on her stomach and abdomen while his brothers helped him clean and bandage every wound that they felt needed it, when the baby started to stir slightly and made a few little keening sounds inbetween whimpers. Don had been looking for something in an old duffle bag that Casey had left behind, for the baby to wear, when he heard the keening sounds and froze.

They were low. Distressed.

And the more he heard them the more his heart slammed against his ribs in horror. _Oh god. Bishop hadn't-_ He slowly turned his head and looked at the baby as she started to fuss a bit more. The keening sounds coming from her throat stopping both Mikey and Leo who had been trying to finish cleaning her up, in their tracks.

While the battle shell's speed slowed to a snails pace before Raph parked the van and all but climbed into the back and stood over the baby with a freaked out look on his face. "Don..." Mikey started to say when his geeky brother let out a loud rumbling growl and snarled.

"Mother fucker! I'll kill him!" The others looked at Don in shock and suprise as he finally stood up and made his way back over to the cot and picked up the baby and quickly dressed her in a large black, short sleeved shirt. "That stupid fucker didn't just experiment on this kid... He created her!"

"Using what?" Mikey asked stupidly, earning a dark look from his brainy brother.

"She's making the same sounds that baby, red earred sliders make." Don said as he laid the baby back down and watched as she lifted her hands to wipe at her eyes before curling up on her side and putting her thumb in her mouth.

Don reached out absently and pulled her hand away from her mouth and looked at his brothers, all of whom were looking just a shade or two greener than usual. _Well at least I don't have to spell it out for them. _He thought darkly as Raph fumbled for the front seat, muttering something about needing to get them to the lair ASAP.

Leo and Mikey couldn't have agreed more.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything was quiet as the baby settled down again and curled up on it's side to sleep a bit more when Mikey decided to ask, "Don...is it really possible that Bishop-"

"I think we all know more than anyone what Agent Bishop is capable of. Still to think that he would create a mutant or clone one or however this child was brought into existance-" Leo said in his normal calm and cool tone while he was desprately trying to find his center. A difficult task when Bishop may well have violated them in some way just to experiment on an innocent child.

Still, he did try to think of something aside from killing Bishop.

It didn't exactly work when he had blood in his eye, but at least he was trying. Don was silent for several moments, mentally going over what tests needed to be run and so on when several things ocurred to him.

1) He was going to need help with this. As in Leatherhead and April sort of help.

2) Splinter needed to be told of why they were bringing the baby back with them instead of trying to find it's mother and hand it off to her.

And 3) They had nothing for it to wear. No food for it to eat. So someone was going to have to hit up the local Wal-Mart unless they were looking to make the baby sick or possibly kill it.

"Mikey, get on the shell cell and call Casey. Tell him that we need him to pick up..." Don got up from his spot on the floor and looked the baby over. His dark eyes measuring her size. "Tell him we need baby food, socks, shoes-" His hand went to her downy soft milky white colored hair and wrapped a little curl around one of his fingers. "Hair barrettes, training pants, shampoo, some brushes, and clothes that will fit a small two or three year old. Something in purple, or pink or yellow maybe..."

"On it." Mikey said before Don turned and looked at Leo and said,

"I need you to call sensei and tell him why we're bringing the baby with us."

Leo was already on his cell and waved him off. Good that was everything. Except the calls he would need to place to Leatherhead and April. Pulling out his cell he hit speed dial for April's number and waited with his cell against his ear slit while listening to little snippets of Mikey and Leo's conversations.

Mikey was apparently having some difficulty explaining why they needed baby stuff. Either that or Casey just wasn't really listening. Mikey repeated himself four times and Don almost smiled. Almost.

Casey wasn't really listening whereas Leo's conversation with Splinter was getting a little heated when Splinter asked about the baby's mother and Leo snapped into his cell. "Mother? What mother? The only women in the compound had been mutated or killed! There's no telling _where_ the kids mom is or_ if_ she even has one-"

Don was thinking that his elder brother would live to regret snapping at their master/father later on as his cell finally stopped ringing and April's voice came over the line. "Hello."

"April! We have an Asap emergency and I need you to come to the lair!"

"Don-" Came the suddenly worried tone as he heard April moving around her apartment from the other end of the line. "What happened? Is someone hurt? Where's the others? Is it Splinter? Oh god- Tell me it isn't Splinter!"

Don took his cell away from his ear slit and gave it a funny look before replacing it just in time to hear April babbling almost hysterically. "April. April... H-Hey. April, I need you to listen to me-" Don said as April continued to ramble on about how their family would fall apart. They would stop fighting crime. Then gasped and nearly shrieked about how Leo and Raph would kill eachother within a month, at which point Don let out a loud snorting laugh.

He couldn't help it. Between her crazed ramblings and the stress of the moment, his mind wasn't functioning as rationally as it usually did. "A-April, I need you to calm down. Splinter is fine. Really." He finally said as April calmed down and just said,

"Oh... Then what do you need?"

"We attacked Bishops latest lab and found a horror show that was movie worthy. Anyways, one of the survivors is a baby- a female about two or three years of age, she looks human enough but earlier when she started to wake up, she made some sounds that our species of turtle makes when they are young and in distress-"

"And you think she was experimented on?" He could hear the frown in Aprils voice.

"No, yes. Maybe. Actually April, the last time Bishop managed to capture us he took blood from each of us..." Don said softly.

"Yeah so?" April asked, apparently not understanding the threat that even their blood held. Don took a moment to breathe deep as his dark eyes went to the baby again.

"April what I'm trying to say is that Bishop may have used our blood to _create_ this kid." April inhaled and made a hissing sound then said hurriedly.

"Okay, I'm on my way. Call Leatherhead, we'll need his help to determine things more quickly."

"I'm on it. And thanks April." Don said.

"Don't thank me until we know something for sure." April said as he heard the sound of a door being closed and keys rattling in her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Splinter hung up his shell cell after speaking with his eldest son Leonardo, and noticed that his hand was shaking as he set the cell aside. He was angry. Understandably so. Bishop had taken his madness too far and possibly experimented on an innocent child. An infant from what he had been told. He bared his teeth in an uncharacteristic display of aggression.

"If he were before me now, I would rip out his throat for this violation." Splinter growled as his fur bristled in a small display of rage as his tail flicked back and forth at his side until he reached down and stilled it with a hand.

He needed to calm himself. If not for his sake, then for his sons.

They were rattled. Possibly even scared.

And then there was the child that Leonardo had spoken of. He would be of little use to her if he remained upset. Taking a deep breath, he tried hard to meditate on the current events and perhaps think of something. But after several minutes he let out a huff and opened his eyes and got up, and walked over to the door to his room. And opened it and looked around the home that he and his sons had made for themselves beneath the streets of the city.

It wasn't the typical home, true. But nor was it a healthy place for a young child.

If they found out that Bishop had done something to make the child a mutant, then they would have no choice but to keep her.

Depending on her mutation that is. However if she was human enough to blend in then maybe they could find a family for her. Perhaps he could even talk April and Casey, who had been living together for the past six months- to take the little one and raise her.

At least then any secrets that could out her as a half mutant would be kept within their circle. Thus keeping them _and_ the child safe from harm.

He took several steps outside of his room, his mind already planning out various things. Killing Bishop was still pretty high on the top of his list, but he was calming..._gradually_. Besides, caring for the child was more important. At least until something more long term came up.

The lair had so many hidden dangers. He and his sons would have to baby proof their home. They would also need food, clothing, diapers- He heard the door open and turned his head expecting his sons and was only a little bit disappointed when Casey and April walked through followed by Leatherhead.

_Ah, Donatello must have called all of them to ask for their help. _Splinter thought as April broke away from the other two and ran up to him and dropped to her knees in front of him looking upset, and hugged him. "Oh Splinter, I was so worried that something had happened to you when Donny called!"

Splinter smiled faintly and patted her on the back as Casey and Leatherhead both set down the Wal-Mart bags that they had both been carrying since meeting up on their way to the lair as April released him and growled, "Remind me, once we figure things out, to punch Don for scaring me."

Splinter chuckled and felt a small pang of sympathy for his genius son whom would probably wind up bruised once the red head was done with him and suddenly found Casey had joined them with a peculiar look on his face as he asked, "What's going on?"

"What were you told?" Splinter asked curiously as the dark haired man ran his fingers through his semi long hair.

"Not a whole hell of a lot. All I was really told was to get baby stuff. As much as I could afford."

"I see." Splinter said thoughtfully as he walked over to the bags and grabed one and peeked inside. It was full of little outfits. Little dresses, pj's, shirts, pants, shorts, socks, shoes- _Well that's one worry down. _Splinter down as he set the bag aside and noted that it had food while another had toys, and another had training pants for toddlers.

He spent the better part of several mintes going through the bags before coming across some hygiene products. Shampoo, conditioner, lavender scented lotion that was meant to help relax babies and put them to sleep- there were little combs and soft bristled brushes, and little hair barrettes... Reaching into the bag Splinter pulled out the barrettes and studied them.

They were cute for little pieces of plastic in the shape of little flowers, butterflies and lady bugs. His lips curved up a tad in a small almost whistful smile as he placed the barrettes back into the bag and set it back down.

It had been so long since he had held a small child in his arms... Would he become attached to this one? He wondered as he caught small snippets of conversation from April as she filled Casey and Leatherhead in on what Don had said to her.

She was in the middle of telling them everything that Donatello had pointed out to her when the door to the lair opened and everything went silent as everyone present turned and looked at the door as the four mutant turtles came walking through looking grim faced. Don walked through the door to the lair with something small and white, wearing an overly large..._something_, cradled in his arms and headed straight for his lab.

Passing just a few feet from Splinter as he did so, causing the aged mutant rat to catch both the baby's scent and get a good glimpse of her as the bottom dropped out of his stomach.

The baby carried the underlying scent of his eldest son, Leonardo, on her skin. That bizarre mix of cinnamon and fruit.

And as for her appearance, well, she was lovely with her pale skin and snowy hair that curled at the tips. And while she physically, looked like any normal human child, there was no telling what she was alike awake. Was she human with human behaviors? Or was she an animal with animalistic behaviors?

Well they would have to be ready regardless, he supposed as his son, April and Leatherhead all shut themselves up in the lab to do their thing while the rest of them sat down to wait.

But Splinter already had a sneaky suspicion of what they might find with their tests and without a word turned and walked back to his room and closed himself in it again.

He felt another fit of rage coming on and didn't want to expose his sons or the child to it.


	5. Chapter 5

Don and the others were in the middle of conducting multiple tests when the baby woke up. He knew this because Leatherhead was leaning over her, taking a bit of blood from her when she let out another keening sound, startling the mutant crocodile who froze up completely.

"Pst... Pst, Donatello..." Leatherhead said softly, from between his lips.

Trying hard not to frighten the child by showing his teeth.

Don turned and looked at him and saw the baby lift an arm to rub at her eyes and noticed Leatherheads uncomfortable stance and walked over to assist him. She had the deepest, most peculiar shade of blue eye color. A shade that was as dark as Leonardo's mask.

The little one held still while Leatherhead finished taking the blood sample that they needed then, slowly as if he expected to be jumped by the ankle biter at any moment- backed away and from that point on made no sudden movements.

Which Don found just a little bit funny since the baby wasn't going anywhere. She was just...looking around his lab with a curious expression on her cute little face. "April, have you got those samples under the scope?" He asked the red head as she sat at his computer typing.

She turned in his swivel chair and nodded her head. "Yeah. The samples are being broken down so that we'll have a better idea of what cutie over there is made of."

"Cutie?" Don said curiously as he turned his head and glanced back at the baby whom had somehow managed to snag Leatherhead's lab coat. Which was now hers and hers alone because the croc mutant had shed the damn thing with the speed of lightening, then scampered across the lab where he was now standing in the far corner with his eerie yellow eyes trained on the infant in a paranoid manner.

April laughed softly at poor Leatherhead for being scared of an innocent little baby and walked over to the tyke and scooped her up and put her fingers to the baby's mouth and jerked her fingers back when she felt the scrape of 'cuties' teeth against her hand and looked at Don.

"Can we take a short break? I think she's hungry. Not only that but she may need to go to the bathroom too." April pointed out to Don.

He blinked at her, a blank look on his face as he realized what she was saying. "Oh! Oh. Damn I forgot that we had Casey pick up food and clothing and such-"

"Oh, is that what was in those bags. I thought it might be groceries or something. Well since that's the case whatta ya say I feed, bathe, change and dress cutie here?"

Don's mouth worked for a second. Mainly because he wasn't sure if it was a good idea. But April was already across the lab and out the door with the infant before he could so much as say anything. Turning his head, he glared at Leatherhead who was still standing in the corner and asked, "Why didn't you stop her?"

Leatherhead's tail made this odd flicking motion and he replied, "Children scare me."

April was in the kitchen grabbing a jar of mashed carrots and a spoon while cooing to 'cutie' when Mikey poked his head in to see what she was doing. His pale blue eyes going from the cooing red head to the infant as he wondered, _Did Bishop somehow use my DNA to make that kid? Wouldn't that make her my kid? Oh god, I'm not ready to be a dad! I wouldn't even know where to start! _As the baby looked his way and he made a squeaking sound and quickly ducked around the corner to hide.

Which was ridiculous when one thought about the fact that the infant was an infant and he was a grown man with ninja skills.

He heard the distinctive sound of a chair being pulled back from the table and the squeaking it made when it was being sat in, and knew that April was now sitting, when Leo walked up and paused just long enough to give Mikey a funny look that made his poor younger brother flush.

Shaking his head, Leo brushed by Mikey and walked into the small kitchen to make some tea to help sooth his fraying nerves and saw April sitting there feeding the little one and smiled. His friend looked so natrual with a baby in her arms, making those funny little airplane sounds to get the baby to open it's mouth.

"Hi Leo." April said as she fed the toddler another bite of mashed up carrots. Leo smiled at the red head as he walked by and made his way over to the stove and grabbed the tea kettle so that he could fill it with water before asking.

"Any progress yet?"

"No. But that's to be expected since things like this take time."

"Ah. And how's _she_ doing?" Leo asked curiously.

"She's hungry, in need of a bath, fresh clothes, and a daiper but aside from all that she seems perfectly fine."

"I see..." Leo said as he put the kettle on the stove and turned the eye on then turned around and watched April wipe the baby's mouth with a paper towel while the baby giggled and tried to snatch the towel from her. "She's a very playful little one." Leo commented after a moment or so of watching the two.

April made a noncommental sound and then asked suddenly, "Do you want to hold her?" Leo looked a little taken aback by her question but figured that if the baby was biologically one of his family, wanting to let himself go just a bit and play the role of a father just _once_, and held his arms out.

April got up out of her seat and handed the baby to him then took a step back and smiled as the baby wrapped her little arms around his neck and curled up against his plasteron.

"My, but she likes you-" April said with an amused smirk as Leo sort of played with the tips of the baby's curly white hair.

"That's...fine." Leo said, searching for words for a moment before saying. "I sort of like her too. She's cute."

"Anyone ever tell you that you'd make a great dad Leo." April said teasingly as he used the tips of the little one's hair to tickle her nose and cheeks before pausing, his heart stuttering in his chest causing it to ache.

A father... That was something he had only thought or dreamt of being in secret when he had been younger. But after reaching puberty Splinter had pulled him, Raph and Don aside and spelled out that it was an impossible dream for them. For more than one reason.

Their mutations were unstable, and while they could have certain relationships with humans- but only if they were trustworthy- the very idea of one day having children and a family had been stolen from them after a series of tests Don conducted on them.

After all, their DNA simply wasn't compatable with humans.

And even if they somehow manage to go where no turtle had gone before, and have a sexual relationship with a human- if a child was concieved... It would die and the toxins left in the mother's womb would take the mother with it.

"Uh...no, actually. The only ones that have ever remotely called me dad have been Mikey and Raph. And I don't need to tell you that they were less than pleasant." Leo said after a moment or so as he gave the baby a small lingering hug then handed her back to April. His tea kettle was whistling and she had a lot of work ahead of her.

Still, he was happy to have at least held the baby once regardless.


	6. Chapter 6

Raph was in his gym beatting the crap out of a punching bag when he heard footsteps outside of his room and peeked out, curious to know if it was Leo or Splinter passing by. He wanted to know just what Bishop had done to that baby Leo had found, and not knowing was driving his crazy.

Truly stark. Raving. Mad.

What he saw was April with the baby cuddled in her arms, tugging on a few strands of her red hair and looking utterly fascinated. It was adorable really. Even to someone as closed off as Raph was.

Pushing his door open a bit more, he stepped out of his gym and snatched the baby from April as she was passing, causing the baby to pull out some of her hair out in the process.

April yelped and came to a stop and started rubbing her head where she had hair missing and glared at his back as Raph carefully cradled the infant in his arms and smiled down at her.

It was an experiment of sorts to him. A way to let him know if the baby would be scared of him or not.

After all, from what he had gleaned of Don's earlier conversation with them in the battle shell- this kid could very well be his daughter or even his niece. So he at least felt he had to hold her and see how she reacted to him...just in case.

The baby looked up at him and he couldn't help but blink at the startling color of her eyes. They looked so much like his eldest brother's eyes that he couldn't help but smirk and tap her on the tip of her cute little nose as he thought, _Oh yeah, we'll get along great. _And if she proved to be one of his family...he'd recrute her in driving Leo up the wall.

Who knew, maybe it would be a fun endeavour to see Leo beating his head against a wall everyday.

"Ya a cute little thing, aren't ya." He said in a soft tone as the baby reached up and put her teeny tiny hands against his cheek and rubbed it. Finding the texture of his skin as fascinating as the red color of April's hair, Raph held perfectly still and let her rub his cheek before shifting her in his grasp and using one of his knuckles to fub at her little cheek.

The baby giggled as if having her cheek rubbed by him was the funniest thing in the world, and squirmed a little bit in his grasp as he smiled and glanced at April. "Do you mind if I help give her a bath?" He asked as he rubbed the baby's cheek again. April looked more than a little suprised that he would ask, but smiled and nodded.

"Sure. You can help." _And let her splash you with soapy water_ _while I wash her. _Raph grinned down at the baby as he and April headed to the bathroom. Several minutes later Raph's voice could be heard trying to shout down the walls of the lair as April's laughter echoed in the back ground.

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Back in the lab- Don was staring at the DNA results that they had gotten from the baby's blood in utter shock and disbelief. The ink pen he had had inbetween his teeth, falling to the floor as his jaw went slack. Behind him Leatherheads reaction to the results was the same. Which might have been funny if Don had been able to do anything at that moment but panic and think.

_Oh shit, I'm an uncle! An uncle... Why do I suddenly feel nauesious at the mere thought of having a little kid running around? Touching all my stuff and giggling like it's funny- _

He made a bizzare helpless squeaking noise as his eyes rolled back and he fainted, his chair toppling to the floor with him in it. Creating a miniature crashing sound that caused Leatherhead to shout in alarm as Mikey peeked into the lab a moment later to see what had happened.

He and Leatherhead exchanged funny looks before the mutant crocadile finally pulled himself together and snapped, "What the hell are you just standing there for? Help me get him up!"


	7. Chapter 7

Merry Christmas everyone!

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Both Raph and April had backed themselves against the nearest wall as the baby April had set on the counter next to the sink seemed to get bigger right before their eyes. The cracking of fragile little bones could be heard as the baby curled it's body in on itself and made a distressed sound as it's limbs, hair and torso all lengthened and grew a bit before it seemed to stop.

After which Raph moved in just a bit closer to the baby and studied it for a second before looking at April as she slowly pulled herself together and moved forward to get a closer look at the infant.

She was sweating, her breathing irregular after her sudden and likely painful 'growth spurt'. Her appearance now that of a toddler closer to three or four years of age. _What the hell just happened? _April wondered as she elbowed Raph and quickly told him to go get someone.

Preferably Don or Leatherhead since the shild needed to be examined for internal injuries and broken bones before they tried to move her again.

Raph wasn't sure what the fuck was going on.

But he knew that it must have been bad for April to tell him to go get one of the resident docs. Looking back at the kid, he couldn't help but feel badly for her. He'd heard the sounds of bones cracking as they expanded in her little body to support her new frame. He knew all too well that that must have been beyond uncomfortable for her.

Throwing open the bathroom door he ran out of the room and ran for the lab shouting.

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Leo was in the lab helping Mikey and Leatherhead try to rouse Don when Raph came running into the room looking more than a little freaked out. "Don! Don! I need Don! There's something wrong with the kid!"

Leo looked over at Raph and at the same time as Leatherhead asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Raph made this weird flailing motion with his hands several times as he sputtered, "April and I were gonna- Then she just sort of- She looks- April said to grab someone- Bones might be broken!"

Leo frowned and looked over at Leatherhead as Mikey scratched his head and asked, "Did anyone understand that gibberish?"

"No." Leatherhead said with a frown.

"There's something wrong with the baby. Something about her looks. April wants someone to look her over because she might have broken bones-" Leo deadpanned as he moved away from Don and barked out an order for Mikey to wake their brother while he and Leatherhead went to check on the little one.

Mikey nodded his head and gave him a thumbs up sign as he turned and with Leatherhead fast on his heels, left the lab to go see what had Raph more or less speechless.

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April was still staring at the child when Leo and Leatherhead burst into the bathroom and paused when they caught sight of the little girl sitting on the counter next to the sink, staring at the floor blankly. "W-What the-" Leo started to say when Leatherhead pushed at him slightly to get him out of the way so that he could examin the child.

"April, what happened?" Leo asked as the crocadile made his way over to the little girl and quickly did the basic check for broken bones by running his large hands from her shoulders down her arms, then her torso and legs. She didn't seem to have any broken bones that he could feel, but he knew pressing down in certain areas hurt her.

He could see it in her face as he listened to April explain to Leo what had happened. Once he was done checking for broken bones, he had Leo come over and help her move off of the counter and set her down on her feet on the floor to see if she could walk.

Leo held onto her tiny hands at first as the child took small shakey steps, his mind a whirling with questions. Two of which were, _'Why did this happen?'_ and _'What the hell had Bishop done?'_


End file.
